Lightning Strikes! Kiyoshi's Attempt
(Note: This is Chapter 3 of The Forgotten and the Banished Arc.) Hanayo and Kiyoshi part ways as she heads back to the cave... Knowing his sister would be safe, Kiyoshi pressed on. The dust was settling and he saw Yuudai collapsed on the ground, whatever he had done was effective. The path from which the menos had come was crowded with fallen trees and a few remaining menos that were fallen and incredibly destroyed, though many had dissipated into spirit particles. "Hmmm," Kiyoshi grunted as he noticed that at the far end of the path there were still more menos. First he needed to get Yuudai to safety, but as he leaned down to grab him there was a red flash, he pointed his Zanpakto toward the oncoming cero and several bolts of electricity flew out surrounding the blast and squeezing down on it until it exploded a safe distance away. He looked at the body of Yuudai beneath him. His zanpakto still released but no longer glowing; there would be no time to save him now. He looked down at the pole arm in his hand, and flash-stepped toward the crowd of Menos. Kiyoshi stood in the middle of all of them were focused on him. He ran behind a menos as another fired an attack. The first was torn to shreds. He slashed at the opponents again and again with his blade; masks cracked and shattered as menos fell quickly, but were replaced by others. More cero blasts were readied, he jumped between the group looking to attack him and the turned to fire, as he flash-stepped. The combined explosions He landed in the midst of them and they started to circle around him. Electricity began to crawl along his skin and up the pole of his weapon. Kiyoshi began to spin the blade over his head, faster and faster. Stray lightning bolts shot out toward the menos causing them to cry out in anger. Some began to charge cero blasts. As they fired, Kiyoshi plunged the blade of his zanpakto into the ground, which quickly light with an expanding white light enveloped the menos. Electricity ensnared them all, arcing from their noses to the tops of their heads, and bolts jumped between them. The blasts seemed to stop in mid air as a net of electricity formed catching the projectiles. Kiyoshi pulled the blade from the ground, and a wave of energy, like a massive lightning bolt, erupted from the soil. Menos blew away into spirit particles. As the energy cleared several menos landed, a few righted themselves. Kiyoshi, drained of all of his energy fell to his knees. He watched as the Menos surrounded him. They eyed Kiyoshi hungrily. He silently accepted his fate and closed his eyes; his thoughts turned to his sister and her safety. Back in the cave, Toshio and Hanayo are focusing on healing Akashi... "What is taking Kiyoshi so long?" Hanayo said nervously as the helped Toshio heal the injured shinigami. "More menos arrived," Toshio said calmly as he looked down on the fallen warrior. "I'd like to think that it was all taken care of, but if this doesn't end soon something worse than these Gillian is going to arrive. So much spirit energy in one place won't be ignored for long." "Something worse?" She said nervously, "Like what?" "An Adjuchas class menos," he said looking at her with his striking green eyes. "And I doubt any of us could handle that." "Adjuchas? We've been here for months and never seen one of those," Hanayo said nervously. "But we know they exist, and based on what is happening I wouldn't be surprised," he said quite calmly. "What does this have to do with an Adjuchas arriving?" she asked. Akashi groaned. "You and Yuudai released a great deal of spirit energy during your battle. Leading up to a massive attack from him that destroyed countless menos," Toshio explained. "With every menos you destroy spirit particles are released into the atmosphere, a lot of them. The same with those upper level attacks you two used. Now Kiyoshi is out there adding to the concentration of spirit energy in that area. An Adjuchas level menos would be drawn to such a concentration. Studies performed by our Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, say that an Adjuchas level menos can sense an average particle concentration of 5000 particles per cubic meter from up to 50 miles away." "So what concentration are we at now?" Hanayo asked. Toshio pushed the hair from his faced and looked at Hanayo sternly, "10000." She swallowed hard at that news. Akashi's hand twitched. " Fortunately for us related studies by Captain Kurotsuchi have shown that normally a single adjuchas may occupy a territory of around 250-500 miles." Akashi's eyes opened. "Well hello there. What is your name?" Akashi sat up quickly. Groaning immediately as he felt the pain of his injuries, he tried to stand. The others tried to hold him down. "Where am I?" "Please you mustn’t move yet, sir," Hanayo said as Akashi pulled away. "You're injuries are quite bad." "Who are you?" He said relaxing slightly, "Where am I? What happened to the Menos?" "Well, I'm Hanayo, and you're in Hueco Mundo," answered Hanayo, "in our cave in the Menos Forest." "And the Menos?" Akashi asked. "They're in a clearing not far from there we found you there so we split up," the white haired shinigami pushed the hair from his eyes as he glared at Akashi. "Our other teammates are still out there one is collapsed along the path the other is in the middle of fighting them, but it isn't looking good." "Then we have to go help them!" Akashi said quickly. "You're in no condition to fight some of your wounds are still open," Hanayo said nervously. "Oh well," Akashi stood up wincing. "Too bad for me, but I brought those monsters here and I'll make sure they get taken care of." With that he flashed away. "What do we do now Toshio?" she asked sheepishly. "With him gone there is no reason to remain here," Toshio observed. "I suppose we should follow him, and see if we can't find Yuudai." As the two of them flashed away, the flame in the center of the cave blew out. Previous Chapter: Branches and Blades! Two Shinigami Fight to Survive! Next Chapter: Kiyoshi Rescued! The Card Shark and Card Counter Team Up!